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Brian Haas and Matt Chamberlain: Frames

Keyboardist Brian Haas and drummer Matt Chamberlain have announced the October 15 release of their debut duo recording Frames on Kinnara Records/The Royal Potato Family. The album was written entirely by Haas, the founder and pianist of Jacob Fred Jazz Odyssey, as a through-composed work for piano and percussion. The recording features 11 instrumental compositions that spiral through the tempered scale.

Brian Haas wrote Frames after moving to Santa Fe from his original home in Tulsa. The suite is equally influenced by stride piano masters Earl Hines, James P. Johnson and Fats Waller; the early minimalist works of Philip Glass and Steve Reich; and the lush aesthetic of modernists James Blake, Flying Lotus and Nigel Godrich. The music is risky, intensely melodic and tells the story of an imagined human life.

“After several years of non-stop touring with my band Jacob Fred Jazz Odyssey I felt completely drained,” Haas said in a statement. “I was pulled to move to the high desert and mountains of Sante Fe, New Mexico. The space/distance from the road, the unearthly view from my house and the strange hum of my new surroundings inspired this music. What started as an exercise in all 12 keys turned into Frames.”

Haas will take Frames on the road in the fall, featuring a variety of established drummers across the globe, including Scott Amendola, Chamberlain, Allison Miller, Josh Raymer, John Speice, Johnny Vidacovich and Dave Wayne. Each show will feature the entire suite, interspersed with duo and solo improvisations. Complete tour dates will be announced shortly.